Assignment: Quiet American and the Vietnam War

Dilemmas of Democracy and the responsibilities of the West; he was determined†¦ O do good, not to any individual but to a country' (Greene, 18). He believed preventing the spread of communism would be beneficial for all. Based in the mysterious Asian country as a secret agent, his Job was to import weapons and set up attacks throughout the country. One incident describes: â€Å"that day all over Saigon innocent bicycle pumps had proved to contain bombs which had gone off at the stroke of eleven†¦. It was better from their point of view to let people assume that the bombs were communist† (Greene, 18-135). To stir up anti-communism the U. S. Litany put the blame for civilian casualties on the rebellious Viet Congo, giving a impelling reason to the American people for why they must be stopped. Bloods states how the United States went to Just about any extent â€Å"to prevent the Domino Theory†¦ The Communists taking South Vietnam and then the Philippines and march ing across to Hawaii and then on the shores of California† (Terry, 156). Consequently, government officials promoted fear with the Second Red Scare to incite their citizens to take a stand against the further spread of communism. American troops were placed in Vietnam up until spring 1975.Between that time American troops were let loose in this foreign country. Not only was there a huge culture shock, but also language played as a barrier. Little efforts to understand the Vietnamese culture became an issue in the war. One of the soldiers said, † this old man was running like back towards his crib†¦ I think people said halt† but we didn't know no Vietnamese words† and so they shot him (Terry, 7). Another case of miscommunication was when a soldier told a girl to did did AMA and her lack of effort to to why she remained on the road; she couldn't get through traffic or could not understand his Vietnamese.America showed no mercy and was brutal to anything ND anyone that stood in the way. With their endless supplies of artilleries â€Å"if something moved in front of you†¦. You fired at it† (Terry, 157). Lots of the poorly trained solders were blind in the Jungles of Vietnam, especially at night, aimlessly shooting to any noise. Americans treated the people of Vietnam poorly as well, women especially. Some of the captives were women and while being integrated they were abused. One of the African American hospital corpsman from the Navy was explaining how he saw a Vietnamese woman get a lit flare shoved in her during questioning (Terry).Pyle never hectically harassed a female, but saw Phonon (his Vietnamese lover) as an object. Disregarding her input, he was going to bring her to America as his wife (Greene). Poor interactions with the Vietnamese people, a negative ambiance was left behind by the Americans. Americans believed they were sincerely helping the Vietnamese. When in reality the people of Vietnam did not see the nee d for their intervention. A soldier explained, † I spent a great deal of time discussing the problem of Vietnam with the Vietnamese people, and what they thought about America's involvement.I learned right away the AR was not the right thing to from the people's point of view' (Terry, 67). The people of Vietnam could have cared less if they were getting military support from America. In fact they did not like the war that was happening on their homeland. â€Å"They want one day to be much the same as another. They don't want our white skins around telling them what they want† (Greene, 86). They want to go back to their daily simple lives before any war began. Their way of life is agriculture of rice patties not whether they have a communist or democratic government.Pyle was getting lectured about hat the Vietnamese people wanted, † do you think peasants sit and think of God and Democracy†¦ We've brought them up in our ideas† (Greene, 87). Before interve ne from America, people of Vietnam were not thinking of which government is suitable for them. Neutral Vietnamese said, â€Å"However win is the one we go with. The Americans are the ones that are crazy; cause they not gain anything. They lose their lives and their money here†(Terry, 67). America did not gain anything directly from this war. There were no significant natural resources and hundreds were dying everyday.As he war got dragged even Americans began to question their intentions of being in the war. While men were fighting for a better government, there was trouble back at the home front. Racism was a big factor still in the United States and that custom was brought overseas. Men of color were grouped together and were mainly put on the front end. An African American war veteran said, † more blacks were dying in combat than whites, proportionately, mainly because more blacks were in combat- oriented units, proportionately, than whites† (Terry, 167). White folks were still seen inferior to lacks.There were times were the whole squad would be of black men (Terry). This prevented white Americans from getting hurt during the war. Even though there was inequality, African-Americans were still treated better then in the States. While enlisted, they could hold some kind of power. â€Å"There weren't many opportunities for Where else could a black go and get that label Just like that? † (Terry, 221). African- Americans enlisted as an escape of racism and segregation because in the war zone they are all fighting together under one cause, democracy for the Vietnamese.One big issue in both books for the reason why they lost the war to the Viet Congo was the inability to establish who the enemy was. It was Vietnamese fighting Vietnamese- like the civil war. White folks could not identify whom to shoot, â€Å"It wasn't suppose to be nobody out at night but the marines. Any Vietnamese out at night was the enemy†¦ It was easy to get k illed by an American† (Terry, 7). The soldiers were trained to take down Vietnamese enemy. Everyone looked like the enemy to them. This became problematic of many innocent lives being killed. For this reason,Americans are seen as mechanical beasts across the globe and will strike at ease in order to win. Americans played different roles in the two books due to the time frame, but had the same goal of fighting for democracy. In The Quiet American being European or white was favorable. â€Å"An advantage of this war was that a European face proved in itself a passport on the field: a European could not be suspected of being an enemy agent† (Greene, 42). This is why Pyle was able to sneak around Vietnam with bombs. No one suspected Americans (whites) behind the attacks. Things were a lot more useful for Americans before they sent troops over.Once the military got involved, it was non-stop gunshots after gunshot. It got to the point where soldiers did not know why they were shooting, they were Just told to. Around this time, university students also began to question the government along with the upraising of segregation. Congress had a hard time dealing with upset citizens over the dead of Martin Luther King and the questioning of when the war will end. In the efforts to help Vietnam have a better life under Democracy, America suffered from the high death toll, expenses on weapons and supplies, and the extended years spent overseas.

The Road to TQM

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a comprehensive and structured approach to organizational management that seeks to improve the quality of products and services through ongoing refinements in response to continuous feedback. TQM requirements may be defined separately for a particular organization or may be in adherence to established standards, such as the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 9000 series.TQM can be applied to any type of organization; it originated in the manufacturing sector and has since been adapted for use in almost every type of organization imaginable, including schools, highway maintenance, hotel management, and churches TQM processes are divided into four sequential categories: plan, do, check, and act (the PDCA cycle).In the planning phase, people define the problem to be addressed, collect relevant data, and ascertain the problem's root cause; in the doing phase, people develop and implement a solution, and decide upon a measurement to gaug e its effectiveness; in the checking phase, people confirm the results through before-and-after data comparison; in the acting phase, people document their results, inform others about process changes, and make recommendations for the problem to be addressed in the next PDCA cycle. IntroTotal quality management (TQM) consists of organization-wide efforts to install and make permanent a climate in which an organization continuously improves its ability to deliver high-quality products and services to customers. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a participative, systematic approach to planning and implementing a constant organizational improvement process. Its approach is focused on exceeding customers’ expectations, identifying problems, building commitment, and promoting open decision-making among workers.The Road to TQM (Growth) Until around 1950, Japanese products were perceived in markets all over the world as being very inexpensive, but with poor quality. By the 1980s, th e same markets were recognizing MADE IN JAPAN as a sign of high quality and reliability. What happened during those three decades? Mass production systems were developed mainly by U. S. industries in the early 20th century. Other countries that were then emerging as new powers adopted variations of this scientific management of companies according to their individual contexts.After the World war, the devastated Japanese economy moved vigorously to restore its previous production level through full-on importation of technologies and ideas from the U. S. and Europe. In the postwar period, Japanese industries absorbed many modern concepts. The quality management systems were typical examples. However, Japanese-made still had a connotation of being inexpensive but with poor quality until the early 1950s. A number of factors contributed to reversing the notorious reputation of Japanese products in the subsequent two decadesTOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT ADAPTION:Japan introduced development of applied technologies, creative reception of imported systems, successful introduction of industrial policies in harmonization with the private sector, expansion of world trade, gradual liberalization of domestic markets for foreign capital, and so on. Among them, what calls our particular attention in relation to management systems is Japan’s 1950s and early 1960s adaptation of Total Quality management. The Japanese management philosophy, system and practices, all focusing mainly on people and work is also termed as â€Å"Total Quality Management†.The common goal of TQM is to produce and serve the quality the customers need in a most economic manner. To achieve this goal, common approaches adopted in TQ M are: Policy deployment (PDCA cycle), Small group activities (QC circle) Systematic problem solving (QC story) Statistical methods ( QC tools) We can consider Total Quality Management (TQM) as an umbrella under which many components of Japanese management practices wo rk simultaneously for improvement of productivity and quality. Refer to Exhibit-XII for some examples.

How should a person be Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

How should a person be - Essay Example In real life, Margaux is a painter, and she is a close friend of Sheila. Therefore, it emerges that Sheila Heti, the author of this novel, used real characters in her novel. Hence, this novel can be considered to include both fiction and non-fiction. This therefore, is among some of the most interesting aspects of this novel. I love reading autobiographical novels. This novel offers a touch of autobiography, thus, is a good read to me. Reading some parts of this novel might feel like reading the diary of an individual. Additionally, considering the fact that the experiences shared in this novel might be real-life experiences, this makes the novel to be more interesting. Since this novel bears elements of autobiography, a major aspect is the use of transcribed conversations between Sheila and other characters. There are also many emails that are shared in this novel. This kind of style is quite unique in most novels, therefore, makes this novel to stand out from others. The author of this novel was creative in the way she developed this novel, including the style. Nonetheless, this novel primarily explores the life of Sheila and her friends. In the novel, it is clear that Sheila thinks about how she ought to conduct and run her life. This therefore, gives the meaning of the title of the novel. Sheila attempts to unveil how a person should be, by exploring different details of her life, including those of her friends. Therefore, the storyline of this novel is all about relationships, work, and pursuits of the characters. Nonetheless, the different parts of the novel have different levels of interest to any reader. While some parts are interesting, a reader might find others boring. Additionally, some parts are complicated while others have a simple flow. Furthermore, some parts of the novel are very well written, as compared to others. Additionally, some parts of the novel are quite insightful, and a reader might learn a few ideas and lessons. Nonet heless,

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 64

Assignment Example There was a difference of twelve years after which attempts were made again. The two successful colonies were thus discovered. They succeeded because of â€Å"profit seeking impulses of gentlemen backers than to a desire to create refuges for English people beset by religious, economic and political woes at home. (Anderson, 195)† Diseases like plague destroyed the colonies and measles and the colonists inferred it was God’s action to vacate the colonial land such that His selected men could occupy the same. Puritan religion dominated entire New England except the Rhode Island. The founders of the two successful colonies of New England were of Puritan origin and got themselves involved in hiring people from their co-religious backdrops. Though a few of the settlers did not have common views with that of the founders, they were rather governed b the â€Å"common purpose†. However the Puritans found the growing turn towards Protestant thoughts or Armenianism. Evangelical religion in fact is a reputed movement of Protestants and the turn of thought towards this religion took place during early eighteenth century (Bebbington,

Ryanair assignment ( new instructions to follow) Essay

Ryanair assignment ( new instructions to follow) - Essay Example However, before the airline looks further in different areas where services can be charged for, Ryanair needs to know the customer response to this strategy of charging for online check-ins. The impact of the economic crisis has hit all the carriers since 2008 which has prompted most low cost carriers to take stringent actions (Dunn, 2009). The low cost carriers thrive on the cost consciousness business passengers as people look for cheaper alternatives. Passengers become price sensitive, according to Ryanair while customer sentiment is focused on value, according to JetBlue. The smaller low cost carriers have closed shop while the larger ones can afford to charge for services, as they are the most sought after during such times. Airlines have started charging fees for additional baggage, for checked baggage or for bags that are heavy (Kahler, 2009). Ryanair admits that ancillary revenues made up 20% of its revenues in 2008 (Deprez, 2009). Ryanair does not have an impressive customer service record. Ryanair has been charged for fleecing money from its customers. While they may fly passengers even at  £ 1, passengers they do not offer refreshments for flight delays and nor do they provide a hotel for flight cancellations (HRIMD, 2007). Before deciding to charge for ancillary services, an airline has to take into account customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty. There is a difference between perceived quality and satisfaction. Perceived service quality is an attitude, an evaluation whereas satisfaction is a transaction specific measure (Baisya & Sarkar, 2004). Ryanair would have to decide on its objective based on whether they want customers that are ‘satisfied’ with their performance or they want to deliver the maximum level of ‘perceived’ service quality. Customer satisfaction has long-term benefits such as reduced failure costs and enhanced reputation of the airline. Personal service and going out of the way to serve the people in

The Influence Of Mass Media On Drug Abuse In The Society Essay

The Influence Of Mass Media On Drug Abuse In The Society - Essay Example The internet is also a mass media channel that includes e-mails, websites, blogs and social networking sites (Armstrong 34). Mass media messages especially advertisements of entertainment video clips contain drug abuse messages that influence the attitudes of the youth towards consumption of illicit drugs (Primack, Kraemer, Fine and Dalton 27). The teenagers lack the cognitive capabilities to understand the dangers of drug abuse and imitate the lifestyles of entertainment celebrities thus leading to high drug abuse in the society. Thesis statement: the mass media has fuelled drug abuse among teenagers in the society. The influence of mass media in drug abuse among the teenagers cannot be underestimated. The mass media has created a new drug abuse culture among the teenagers Wagner 67). The mass media advertising contains drug abuse messages that create wrong perceptions of prosperity by showing images of drug abusers enjoying material things like luxury cars and expensive jewelry (Pr imack, Kraemer, Fine and Dalton 35). The mass media has created numerous stereotypes about drug abuse, fashion and violence thus leading to a sensation of drug abuse and sex among teenagers in the United States. ... The teenagers mainly rely on the mass media for entertainment and connecting with their peers (Wagner 81). Currently, the mass media contains a lot of information, images and audio-video clips that depict drug abuse as something rewarding and cool. Although there is controversial debate surrounding the impact of mass media on drug abuse among the youth, it is true that mass media messages affect the perceptions of youth towards drugs (Primack, Kraemer, Fine and Dalton 19). The mass media is increasingly being used to advertise tobacco related products, alcohol and other prescription drugs. Accordingly, teenagers who smoke tobacco and take alcohol have higher chances of engaging in illicit drug abuse. Cigarette advertising messages glamorize smokers and smoking through depicting the smokers as young, cool, adventurous, independent and healthy (Primack, Kraemer, Fine and Dalton 31). Accordingly, teen-oriented television programs and magazines have tobacco-related advertising that conta ins images that are tailor-made in order to appeal to the youths. The audio-clips use images that show young people as fun-loving and enjoying consumption of illicit drugs. The internet is contains massive videos and messages related to drug abuse and often portray positive consequences of drug abuse and desirable attributes like feelings of relaxation or greatness (Primack, Kraemer, Fine and Dalton 12). Some of the factors that expose teenagers to unrestricted drug related advertising and violent movies that contain images of drug abuse include poor parenting, aggressive tobacco related advertising and peer pressure (Brown, Steele and Walsh-Childers 44). A majority of the

Rationale for choosing the two companies and industries based on your Essay

Rationale for choosing the two companies and industries based on your industry and fundamental analysis - Essay Example During last financial year i.e. in 2010, companies have experienced higher growth and hence, there had been higher dividend yield (Vellacott and Cruise, 2011). UK economy has been experiencing slower economic growth but it steady and expected to grow much higher by 2012. However, due to sluggish economic recovery, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has claimed that â€Å"expected national output to increase by 1.3% in 2011 compared to the 1.7% it had been predicting three months ago† (Elliott, 2011). During 2007-2009, overall GDP growth was negative due to global crisis, but during 2010, these parameters have taken an increasing trend that will make stock market grow in coming years. Industry Analysis Telecommunication UK telecommunication industry is highly developed in terms of industry polices and market exposures like demand. For example, during end 2010, nearly 4.8 million and 33.1 million were the users of mobile broadband and 3G mobile (Ofcom, 2011). Figure 6 portr ay that mobile ownership has been grown from 50% to 91% since last 10 years and figure 7 shows that there also have been growth in broadband connection. The market report also signifies that there has been a slight decline in annual revenue of telecommunication industry as presented in the following figure. However, it is expected that, during 2011, industry revenue is expected to grow by 2% to ?35.6 billion and annual growth rate will grow rate nearly 3%-4% p.a. By the end of 2015, market is projected at ?40.7 billion i.e. â€Å"equivalent to cumulative growth of 17% in real terms compared with 2010† (MBD, 2011). Pharmaceutical Multiple new product development led by technological advancement and government’s initiatives are expected to bring rapid growth in healthcare industry. Comparing to other manufacturing industries, pharmaceutical has shown a better performance. The above figures show UK’s Pharmaceutical trade, there has been significant growth in this i ndustry since last decades. The overall import and export has increased and medical pharmacy products are the highest gainer. Company Analysis Vodafone Plc Vodafone Group is one of leading global telecommunication company, and in UK Vodafone’s performance has been remained better than its rivals. A key comparison of Vodafone with its key rivals British Telecom and Telefonica SA are given below. The overall performance of Vodafone has been better than its rivals in terms of profit margin and its sales and stock returns its performance has remained quite better. Moreover, with lowest debt-equity ratio, it also has lower risk level. The following table depicts the financial highlights. Vodafone’s net profit margin and sales volume are very high that clearly signifies its better financial performance. Its shareholders have also gained a higher return on their investments as earning per share and dividend payout ratio are attractive for making investments. The key ratios of Vodafone indicate that financial condition is very stable than its key rivals. Return on equity is also